British health officials warned on Wednesday (Oct 12) that non-urgent hospitals operations could be cancelled due to a shortage of blood stocks, calling for more supplies, according to the AFP and al-Arabiya.
NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT), which collects blood and other tissues, issued its first “amber alert” warning.
“Asking hospitals to limit their use of blood is not something we take lightly,” said Wendy Clark, interim chief executive of the service.
“This is a critical measure to protect patients who require blood the most,” she added, apologising to patients whose surgeries may be postponed.
The amber alert will be in effect for four weeks to allow for the replenishment of stocks, particularly of O-type blood, which is the most common.
Priority is given to patients who require blood transfusions the most, such as those with chronic illnesses.
NHSBT also stated that hospitals will continue to perform urgent, emergency, or trauma surgery, as well as cancer and transplant procedures.
Non-urgent surgery, on the other hand, could be postponed, adding to the publicly funded health service’s waiting list crisis, which the government is under pressure to address.
Nurses in England and Wales will vote on a pay strike next month.
According to NHS England figures released in September, there were 6.84 million people on the waiting list in England at the end of July.
NHSBT aims to keep blood stocks for more than six days, but levels of group O types are expected to fall below two days.
Other groups’ stocks are expected to reach amber levels in the coming weeks.
Covid cases and hospital admissions in the UK are at their ‘highest level in months.’
According to NHSBT, maintaining blood stocks has been difficult since the pandemic due to staff shortages at donor centres as well as changes in donor habits.
Because blood can only be stored for 35 days, there is always a need for donations – and specific blood types.
NHSBT evaluates supply in relation to demand from patients and hospitals in order to avoid waste and provide required blood types.